Novel mechanism and method for producing special loop formations in knitted fabrics



, Oct..23, 1934. G. GASTRICH 1,977,676

NOVEL MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SPECIAL LOOP FORMATIONS INKNITTED FABRICS Filed April 22. 1932 '4 Sheets-Sheet, l

I N VEN TOR: Gusiav (iasirich,

' ATTbRNEifS.

Oct. 23, 1934. G. GASTRICH 1,977,676

NOVEL MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SPECIAL LOOP FORMATIONS INKNITTED FABRICS Filed April 22. 1932v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gusiow Gasirich,

' ATTORNEY Oct. 23, 1934. G. GASTRICH Y 1,977,676

NOVEL MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SPECIAL LOOP FORMATIONS INKNITTED FABRICS Filed April 22. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTOIRNEYIS. V

Oct. 23, 1934. .G. GASTRICH 1,977,676

NOVEL MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SPECIAL LOOP FORMATIONS INKNITTED FABRICS Filed April 22. 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR: GasfavGasirich,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented a. 23, 1934 NOVEL iuE'onAmsM PRODUCING SPECIAL LOOP IN KNITTEDFABRICS AND METHOD FOR FOBMATIONS Gustav Gastrieh, Wyomissing, Pa.,assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa'., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 22, 1932, Serial No.606,795

20 Claims.

My invention relates to novel mechanism for, and a method of, producingspecial loop formations in knitted fabrics.

An object of the invention is to enable a full fashioned knittingmachine to more effectively employ the usual narrowing machine, and thepoints carried thereby, for the production of various special stitchesand loop formations formed by the coaction between the points andneedles. In accordance with this object, I provide additional means tomodify the usual operation of thenarrowing machine and loop engagingpoints carried thereby, whereby the dipping movement of the narrowingmachine may be temporarily arrested or momentarily stopped in itsvertical path of travel and maintained at a predetermined elevation, outof operative engagement with the needles, for apredetermined timeinterval in the cycle of movement of the needles and while the lattercontinue in their usual knitting operation. This enables the timerelation of the vertical movement of the narrowing machine to beinterrupted, modified or changed with respect to the needles forproducing other than plain stitches, or for any other purpose, withoutthe necessity of longitudinally shifting the main cam shaft of theknitting machine at such time. Thus, the narrowing machine and pointscarried thereby can be utilized for the production of a variety of loopsother than plain loops, depending upon the time and extent of theinterruption of the vertical movement of the narrowing machine, in whichcase the machine functions as special loop producing mechanism.

With this and other objects in view, which will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of theinvention shown in the accompanying drawings, my invention resides inthe novel methods, elements of construction, mechanisms and combinationof parts in cooperative relationship, as hereinafter more particularlyset forth in the claims. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of, portions of afull fashioned knitting machine embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a portionof the mechanism shown inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown inFigure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view, partly broken away, further showing thecooperative relation of the cams and levers illustrated in Fig. 1;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of portions of a lace clock mechanismemployed in conjunction with the present invention;

Figures 6 to 8 are perspective views showing the operation of theneedles and transfer points in accordance with the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the knitting machine is provided withneedles 10 for each machine section, held in needle bars 11 which arereciprocated in usual manner by a cam 8 acting on a lever 9 connected tothe needle bars 11. The narrowing shaft 12 is carried by guide arms 13from rear narrowing shaft 14 and is provided with brackets 15 supportingthe lace point rod 16 which carries the usual narrowing or transferpoints 17, which in the present arrangement are employed as lace points.The main cam shaft 18 as usual has earns 20 operative, upon longitudinalshifting of the shaft, on arms 21 connected to narrowing shaft 12 tomove the latter vertically about shaft 14. Cams 20 act to move thetransfer ,or lace points 17 into and out of cooperation with certainneedles 10 to take loops therefrom and when the points are movedlaterally of the needles to place the loops on other needles; an idlerpath 19 being provided on said cam for holding the transfer 30 points inraised position during knitting.

The lateral movement of the points 17 is controlled through thenarrowing rods 16 by a lace clock mechanism 22 (Figure 5) having apattern chain 23 provided with one series of buttons which determinesthe number of needle spaces through which the transfer points move ineither direction for transferring loops taken from certain needles toother needles to the right or left thereof.

In accordance with the present invention, at certain times in theoperation of the transfer points 17 their descentds momentarilyterminated short of their usual downward movement in the presentinstance, so that instead of the loops on 95 the points being placedthereby on needles 10 alined therewith, the loops are drawn or pulledoff the points as the needles descend, in the normal cyclic operation ofthe latter.

As shown in Figure 3, the arm 21, which is 109 acted upon by cam 20 tocontrol the upward and downward movements of transfer points 17relatively to needles 10 in usual manner, has a shoulder 24 at its freeend engaging a shoulder 25 on a supporting member 26 mounted on a rockerarm 27 secured to a rock shaft 28. The member 26 is pivotally mounted onrocker arm 27 and pressed against an adjustablestop 30 by a spring 31. Asecond rocker arm 32 (Figures 1, 3 and 4) also fixed to rock shaft 28carries a stud 33 on which a,-rol1er 34 is slidably mounted for movementinto and out of the plane of a cam 35 secured to cam shaft 18.

When roller 34 is positioned in the plane of cam 35 rock shaft 28 isoperated for raising the sup-- porting member 26 so that its shoulder 25is engaged by the shoulder 24 of arm 21 as the latter moves downwardlyunder control of cam 20 to lower the transfer points 17. Thus, uponengagement of arm 21 with member 26 the descent of the transfer points1'7 is terminated short of the downward movement permitted by cam 20 andinasmuch as the needle bars are descending at this time the loops on thepoints are pulled off the points as the needles continuing downward moveaway from the points. As cam shaft 18 completes a revolution support 26is lowered and arm 21 engaging shoulder 25 descends therewith as cam 35permits support 26 to return to its normal lowered position.

The position of roller 34 relatively to cam 35 is controlled by apattern chain 37 having buttons 38 operable on a pivoted lever 40 whichacts through a rod 41 to actuate a lever 42 having a bifurcated portion43 engaged with roller 34 for moving the latter on stud 33. A pawl andratchet device 44 for actuating pattern chain 3'7 is operable from a cam45 on shaft 18 acting through a roller 46 slidable on a-stud carried bya pivoted arm 4'7 operatively connected to the pawl and ratchet device44. Roller 46 is engaged by a bifurcated lever 48 operable to disposethe roller in the plane of cam 45 for actuating the pattern chain.

Lever 48 is connected by a rod 50 to apivoted lever 51 having a clevis52 connected to an arm 53 carrying a roller 54 engageable with theperiphery of a cam 55 on shaft 18.; Asecond roller 56 on arm 53 isengageable with a cam contour on the face of cam 55 for operating levers51 and 48 to control operation of the pawling device 44 for patternchain 3'7 by cam 45 acting on roller 46. An articulated extension 5'7 ofarm 53 is normally in supported engagement with a shoulder on a springbiased pivoted supporting member 58 to maintain roller 54 from followingthe periphery of cam 55 so as to render cam 55 ineffective to act onroller 56 to operate levers 51 and 48.

A rod 60 slidably mounted in suitable guides is provided with a contactmember 61 for moving support 58 from engagement with arm 53 and itsextension 5'7. Roller 54 may then follow the periphery of cam 55 forpositioning roller 56 for cooperation with the contour on the face ofthe cam which actuates levers 51 and 48 to position roller 46 foroperation by cam 45 for advancing pattern chain 37. Theraised peripheralpor tion of cam 55 is adapted to act on roller 54 for reengaging arm 53and extension 57 with support 58 to again position and latch roller 56out of cooperative relation with cam 55.

Rod 60 is controlled by the course regulator of the lace clock mechanism22 and is actuated thereby, 'in the usual operation of the latter torelease conventional shifting mechanism 62 for cam shaft 18, forreleasing the support 58 to cause advance of pattern chain 3'7 asdescribed above.

Briefly described, the course regulator determines the number of plaincourses between lace courses, certain buttons of varying height onpattern chain 23 acting through bell crank 59 on a stepped plate 63 todetermine the setting of a slide 64. Slide 64 is operable from its setposition through a rack and pinion actuated by 8 pawl and ratchet 65operated from a cam on cam shaft 18. When set for a number of plaincourses as determined by chain 23 the slide 64 is advanced towards theleft until it acts through rod 60 connected thereto to lift a chain locklever 66 for releasing conventional shifting mechanism for moving camshaft 18 axially.

The shifting of rod 60 also releases support 58 so that cam 55 actsthrough levers' 5l, 48 to position roller 46 for causing the pawlingdevice 44 to advance pattern chain 3'7. Thus, pattern chain 37 isadvanced a step for each operation of the lace mechanism 22 and thebuttons 38 thereof become operative after a determined number of lacecourses to shift roller 34 into the plane of cam 35 for raising support26 to shorten the downward movement of the transfer points 1'7 so thatin the downward. movement of the needles 10 the loops on the points willbe pulled off by the needles, thus causing the dropping of stitches.

Referring now to Figures 6 to 8, after a course C has been knit thetransfer points 1'7 and needles 10 are operated in usual manner, bycausing the narrowing machine and transfer points to dip the requirednumber of times, the lace clock mechanism 22 successively shifting thetransfer points laterally in opposite directions in time relation withthe dipping movements of the narrowing machine to transfer a loop b fromits needle to an adjacent needle and then to transfer a second loop d ofthe same course in the opposite direction to an adjacent needlethusinterlocking the loops b and d' with the loops a and e.' When theloops of the following course D have been enthe loop 0 of course D onthe needle 10c I and raised to take the loop from the needle.

In this operation the transfer point is not shifted laterally of theline of needles but is again lowered as though to replace the loop c onthe needle 10c. However, as point 1'7 is lowered its descent is checked,as described above, so that as the needles descend, as usual in looptransferring operations, the loop 0 is drawn off the alined point 1'7inasmuch as the point is held against further descent as the needlesmove downwardly. 136 The pulling of the loop 0 from point 17 results infreeing this loop since it is not now engaged on a needle 10 nor held ona point 1'7. Consequently, the stitch c' is dropped resulting incombining the openings I, II, into a large opening III.

Although the formation of only a single enlarged opening has beendescribed it is to be understood that a plurality of enlarged openingsmay be formed in various courses by providing a plurality of transferpoints. The enlarged openings formed in accordance with my invention mayif desired be combined with smaller openings to produce varied lace-workdesigns. For example, Figures 6 to 8 also show a smaller opening IVprovided below the enlarged opening 111 by interlocking a loop 0" ofcourse A with the adjacent loop d".

The above described mechanism may, as hereinbefore stated, also beemployed toproduce a variety of special loop formations in knittedfabrics obtained by the coaction between loop engaging points andselected needles, depending upon the time and extent of the interruptionof the vertical movement of the narrowing machine, and the time relationand movements of the narrowing machine and points with respect to theneedles.

For brevity in the specification and claims the term knitting, whenemployed with reference to the operation, movement, or cycle ofoperations or movements of the needles, is used in a generic sense todefine any movement or operation of the needles relative to the coactingpoints for any li pose, and is not limited to those movements of theneedles which produce only plain knitted loops; the expressionadditional means", referring to the means utilized for stopping,arresting, or otherwise affecting, temporarily or for any predeterminedtime interval, the dipping movement of the narrowing machine or thepoints carried thereby, is used in a generic sense to define any meansutilized for this purpose; and the suits, can be changed and modified invarious ways without departing from the scope of the invention hereindisclosed and hereinafter claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a full fashioned knitting machine the combination with a series ofneedles, a seriesof needle engaging points, and means for cooperativelymoving the latter toward and from the needles; of additional means fortemporarily stopping for a predetermined timetinterval the verticalmovement of the points short of their usual downward limit of travel tomodify their cooperative relation with the needles during the normaloperating cycle of the latter.

2. In a full fashioned knitting machine the combination with a series ofneedles, a series of' needle engaging points, and means for,cooperatively moving the latter toward and from the needles; of camshaft controlled additional means for temporarily arresting the dippingmovement of the points short of their usual downward limit of travelduring their cyclic cooperative relaplurality of points, means on saidcam shaft for actuating said needle bar, a cam on said shaft adapted tooperatively engage said narrowing machine to move said points verticallytoward and away from said needles, and additional means to temporarilyarrest the vertical dipping movement of said narrowing machine short ofits usual downward limit of travel toward saidv needles while the lattercontinue in their normal path of travel.

4. In a full fashioned knitting machine, a main cam shaft, a needle barhaving a series of needles, a narrowing machineincluding a plurality ofpoints, said cam shaft including means for actuating said needle bar andmeans for normally actuating said narrowing machine to move said pointstoward and away from said needles,

and additional cam-shaft-controlled meansarranged to temporarily arrestmovement of said narrowing points short of their usual downward limit oftravel toward said needles while permitting normal cyclic operation ofsaid needle bar.

5. In a full fashioned knitting machine, a main cam shaft, a needle barhaving a series of needles, a narrowing machine including a support and.a plurality of points, means on said cam shaft for actuating said needlebar, a cam on said shaft adapted to operatively engage said narrowingmachine to move said points toward and away from said needles, and meansto maintain saidinarrowing machine inoperative for a predetermined timeinterval while said needles continue in their knitting cycle, said lastmentioned means including a cam on said main cam shaft and a pivotalsupport operatively connected to said cam and arranged to engage saidnarrowing machine and maintain the latter free of said narrowing machinecam while in operative alignment therewith.

6. In a full fashioned knitting machine, a main cam shaft, a needle barhaving a series of needles, a'narrowing machine including a support anda plurality of points, means on said cam shaft for actuating said needlebar, a cam on said shaft adapted to operatively engage said narrowingmachine to normally movesaid points toward and away from said needles,and additional means to temporarily modify the operation of saidnarrowing machine including a cam on said main cam shaft and a pivotalsupport operatively connected to said cam and arranged to maintain thenarrowing machine at a predetermined elevation free of said narrowingmachine cam while said main cam shaft remains in the position occupiedduring normal operation of said narrowing machine.

'1. In a mu fashioned knitting machine, a main cam shaft, a needle barhaving a series of needles, a narrowing machine including a support anda plurality of points, means on said cam shaft for actuating said needlebar, means on said shaft adapted to operatively engage said narrowingmachine to move said points toward and away from said needles, andadditional means operative after selected loops are engaged on thepoints to maintain said narrowing machine at a predetermined elevationintermediate its usual upward and downward limits of travel and out ofcoactive engagement with said needles for a predetermined time in rvalwhile said needles continue in their knitting cycle.

. s. In a mu fashioned knitting machine, a main cam shaft, a needle barhaving a series of needles,

a narrowing machine including a support and a plurality of points, meanson said cam shaft for actuating said needle bar, a cam on said shaftadapted to normally engage said narrowing machine to permit movement ofsaid points toward and away from said needles, and supplemental means tomaintain said narrowing machine momentarily inoperative at apredetermined elevation intermediate its usual upward and downward limitof travel, in its narrowing position, for

a predetermined time interval while said needles continue in theirknitting cycle.

9. In a full fashioned knitting machine, a main cam shaft, a needle barhaving a series of needles, a narrowing machine including a plurality ofpoints; said cam shaft including means for op-- erating said needle barand means for normally operating said narrowing machine, said lattermeans being operatively positioned by longi- .tudinal shifting of saidmain cam shaft, and additional means to stop said narrowing machineshort of its usual downward"'limit of travel and maintain the sametemporarily inoperative while fi said main cam shaft remains in suchlongitudinally shifted narrowing position, whereby to permit saidneedles to continue knitting movements without throwing said narrowingmachine ou of its narrowing position.

,10. In a full fashioned knitting machine the combination with a seriesof needles, a series of needle engaging points, and means' forcooperatively moving the latter toward and from the needles; of meansoperative after the points have 16 removed loops from selected needlesfor stopping the points short of their usual downward limit of travelduring their cyclic cooperative movement with the needles, said machineincluding means for moving. the needles away from 20 said stopped pointswhereby descent of the needles from the latter effects withdrawal-anddropping of loops from said points.

11. In a full fashioned knitting machine the combination with a seriesof needles a series of needle engaging points, and means forcooperatively movingpthe latter toward and from the needles; of camshaft controlled means operative after the points haveremoved loops fromselected needles for stopping the points short of their usual downwardlimit of travel during their cyclic cooperative movement with theneedles, said ma- ,chine including means for moving the needles awayfrom said stopped points whereby descent of the needles from the latterefliects withdrawal and dropping of loops from said points.

12. In a full fashioned knitting machine the combination with a seriesof needles, a series of needle engaging points, andmeans for cooper!atively moving the latter toward and from the needles; of meansoperative after the points have removed loops from selected needles forstopping the points short of their usual downward limit of travel duringtheir cyclic cooperative movement with the needles, said means includinga cam operated member and a cam for actuating Y the latter, and saidmachine including means for moving the needles away' from said stoppedpoints whereby descent of the needles from the latter effects withdrawaland dropping of loops from said points.

13. In a full fashioned knitting machine having reciprocable needles anda loop transfer point alignable therewith, means for operating saidpoint to transfer a loop from an aligned needle to another needle, meansfor moving said point in the opposite direction to pick up a loop fromanother aligned needle and transfer the same to a needle more widelyseparated from said first mentioned other needle, thereby producing aplu-' rality of spaced openings one at each side of an intermediate loopin the same course, and said machine including means for effecting apartial operation of said point and engagement thereof with theintermediate loop bearing needle, whereby subsequent relative movementof said point and intermediate needle away from each other frees theloop from said intermediate needle and permits the same to drop, therebycombining said plurality of spaced openings into a single largeropening. I

14. In a full fashioned knitting machine have ing reciprocable needlesand a loop transfer point alignable therewith, means for lowering andraising said transfer point to take a loop from an aligned needle, meansformoving said transfer point, with the picked-up loop thereon, in onedirection and in alignment with another needle bearing a loop in thesame course, means for operating said point to transfer said picked-uploop to said other loop-bearing needle, means for returning saidtransfer point in the opposite direction and into alignment with anotherloop bearing needle normally separated from said first named alignedneedle, means for operating said point to pick' up the loop from saidseparated needle and to transfer said loop to still another of saidaligned loop bearing needles more widely separated from saidfirst-transferred loop-bearing needle, said machine including operatingmeans for knitting a succeeding course of loops to said first course,thereby producing a plurality of spaced openings, one at each side ofaprescribed intermediate loop-bearing needle and means for partiallylowering said transfer point in alignment with said intermediate needle,and in engagement with the loop on the latter whereby vertical movementof said intermediate needle away from said point draws said lastmentioned loop from said point and drops the same, thereby combiningsaid plurality of spaced openings into a single larger opening.

15. In a full fashioned lmitting machine, a main cam shaft, a needle barhaving a row of needles thereon, means operatively connecting said camshaft and needle bar to reciprocate the latter, a transfer pointsupport, means operatively connecting said transfer point support andsaid main cam shaft, means for operating the transfer point support andthe points thereof to transfer a plurality of loops from certain needlesto others spaced therefrom, first in one direction and then in theopposite direction in a predetermined course of the fabric beingknitted, and means for temporarily arresting the loop-engaging travel ofsaid transferpointsupport at a predetermined point while the transferpoints are in partial engagement with other needle loops adjoiningthesaid transferred loops in the immediate succeeding course of'the fabric,whereby subsequent movement of said needle bar away from the transferpoints effects withdrawal of said partially engaged loops from thetransfer points and dropping of said loops inthe knitted fabric.

16. In a full fashioned knitting machine, a main cam shaft, a needle barhaving a row of needles thereon, means operatively connecting said camshaft and needle bar to reciprocate. the latter, a transfer pointsupport, means operatively connecting said transfer point support andsaid main cam shaft, means for operating the transfer point support andthe points thereof to transfer a plurality of loops from certain needlesto others spaced therefrom, first in one direction and then in theopposite direction in a predetermined course of the fabric beingknitted, and means for temporarily arresting the loop-engaging travel ofsaid transfer point support at a predeterminedpoint while the transferpoints are in partial engagement with other needle loops 140 adjoiningthe said transferred loops in the immediate succeeding course of thefabric whereby subsequent movement of said needle bar away from thetransfer points effects withdrawal of' said partially engaged loops fromthe transfer 5 points and dropping of said loops in the knitted fabric,said temporary arresting means including a main-cam-shaft-controlleddevice arranged to predeterminedly engage said transfer point support.

said'cam shaft and needle bar to reciprocate the latter, a transferpoint support, means operatively connecting said transfer point supportand said main cam shaft, means for operating the transfer point supportand the points thereof to transfer a plurality of loops from certainneedles to others spaced therefrom, first in one direction and then inthe opposite direction in a predeter-.

mined course of the fabric being knitted, and means for temporarilyarresting the loop-engaging travel of said transfer point support at apredetermined point while the transfer points are in partial engagementwith other needle loops adjoining the said transferred loops in the immediate succeeding course of the fabric, whereby subsequent movement ofsaid needle bar away from the transfer points effects withdrawal of saidpartially engaged loops from the transfer points and dropping of saidloops in the knitted fabric, said means operatively connecting thetransfer point support and main cam shaft including -a"pivotally mountedarm, and said temporary arresting means including a rock shaft, a rockerarm fixed on said rock shaft and engageable with said main cam shaft, asecond rock arm fixed on said rock shaft, and a supporting membermounted on said second rock arm, said ,supporting member including meansfor releasably engaging said pivoted arm to temporarily arrest itsdownward travel.

18. The method of making an enlarged lace work opening in a knittedfabric which comprises transferring spaced loops in a determined coursefirst in one direction and then in another direction for interlockingwith adjacent loops to form openings at opposite sides of a loopintermediate said spaced loops; and disengaging in the following course,a loop which corresponds to said intermediate loop from its needle tocombine said openings into a single larger opening.

19. The method of making an enlarged lacework opening ina knitted fabricwhich includes knitting a course of loops, transferring a prescribedloop to and associating the same with an adjacent loop of said course,repeating said transfer operation with a second prescribed loop normallyalternating with'said first prescribed loop and associating said secondprescribed loop with an adjacent loop distant from said first namedadjacent loop, then knitting a second course of loops, thereby producinga plurality of spaced openings, one at each side of a selected inter-'mediate loop in the first course, then disengaging from its needle aloop of said second course lying in the same wale as said intermediateloop, thereby combining said plurality of spaced openings into a singlelarger opening.

20. The method of making an ornamental opening in a knitted fabric whichincludes knitting a course of thread loops upon a series of needles,aligning a transfer point withone of said needles and transferring theloop on said needle to an adjacent loop-bearing needle, then shiftingsaid transfer point laterally of said needles, in the oppositedirection, into alignment with a second loop bearing needle spaced fromsaid one of vthe needles by an intermediate needle and picking up theloop of. the said second needle, then transferring said last mentionedloop to an adjacent loopneedles away from said transfer point, therebydrawing said intermediate loop fromsaidtransfer point and dropping saidloop, therebyforming said plurality of spaced openings into a singlelarger opening. v

GUSTAV GASTRICH.

